In Abita Springs, a north shore town whose website touts it as a place where nature performs miracles, folks apparently don't take kindly to anyone messing with the underground wells that are the source and inspiration for its most famous exports - drinking water and beer. That was clearly evident by the crowd that turned out at a public meeting Thursday (May 1) night to discuss a New Orleans company's proposal to drill for oil near the town.

A standing-room-only crowd turned out for an informational meeting to hear presentations and discuss the controversial proposal that has created a torrent of public consternation over the past few weeks from citizens who fear the drilling will harm property values the threaten the water supply.

Helis Oil & Gas LLC wants to drill the well just north of Interstate 12 and about a mile east of Louisiana 1088 and use the hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," method to extract oil and gas.

Mayor Greg Lemons said Abita's legacy a tourist town that people visited for its pristine environment makes it extra sensitive to the Helis proposal. "Clean water and air, that's what made this town," Lemons said.

Lemons said he called the meeting at Abita Town Hall to provide more information on the controversial project. All 175 folding chairs that were put out in the hall were filled and people stood along the walls to watch the presentation.

A panel consisting of representatives from the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association, the state Department of Natural Resources, the state Department of Environmental Quality, the Gulf Restoration Network and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation addressed the crowd. Sandra Slifer, president of the League of Women Voters St. Tammany, moderated it.

Ragan Dickens, of the oil and gas association, opened the program by noting that oil and gas form the backbone of the state's economy. Describing it as a safe process that does not harm the water table, he went on the explain that over a million wells have been "fracked" in the U.S. over the past 60 years.

Dickens then showed a video explaining the process, at times drawing snickers from the skeptical audience.

During the presentation, the crowd erupted into applause as retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, who is now head of the "Green Army," a loosely affiliated organization representing about 40 environmental activist groups, walked into the meeting unannounced. As Commanding General of the First U.S. Army, Honore led the military relief efforts across the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Pat Courreges, communications director for the state department of natural resources, took the microphone to explain the state's role in overseeing drilling operations. He was followed by Ricky Boyett, from the corps public affairs office, who explained how citizens can provide input to the permitting process during the public comment period, which ends next week.

Scott Eustis, a coastal wetlands specialist for the Gulf Restoration Network, said his organization objects to the Helis wetlands permit request from the corps, bringing applause from the audience. He said the network doesn't have enough information on the request and is calling for an area-wide impact statement.

John Lopez, executive director of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, said citizens should be wary but should not jump to conclusions on the fracking proposal.

Following the presentations, audience members were allowed to write in questions to panelists. Slifer asked those on the panel to be brief with their answers because there were "a jillion" question cards turned in by citizens in the large audience. Among them were queries about wastewater that would be created by the process, land subsidence that could result from fracking and the types of chemicals used to extract the oil.

When Gifford Briggs of the oil and gas association said the chemicals that will likely be used in the process can be found "under your kitchen sink," the audience reacted with jeers.

Honore took the microphone at the end of the meeting, firing up an already hyped audience. He told the audience that they should stand up against powerful political forces who are influenced by the oil industry.

"The state laws in Louisiana represent the oil and gas companies,"

he said. "It's no wonder we're the most polluted state in the country."

The retired military leaders urged citizens to fight the fracking operation, despite the difficult opposition.

"The only thing that can save us is us," he said.

Many St. Tammany residents and public officials have come out against the proposal to drill a well north of Interstate 12 and east of Louisiana 1088 near Mandeville. The company proposes to drill 13,400 feet deep and then drill laterally using the hydraulic fracking method to pull oil and gas from an ancient sedimentary rock formation known as the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale.

Once the well is drilled, a solution of water, chemicals and sand would be pumped into it, and the tremendous pressure would form cracks, or fractures, in the shale. When the solution is pulled out of the well, the sand would remain in the cracks and keep them open, allowing oil and gas to flow into the well for extraction.

So that it would remain sealed, the well would be encased in concrete and several layers of hardened steel pipe.

Supporters of the fracking operation say the extraction method is very common and has been used safely in throughout the state and elsewhere. They said Hellis has an excellent track record with fracking.

At a recent public hearing in Mandeville, citizens expressed concerns that the drilling could lead to pollution of the air, ground and the aquifer that supplies the parish with drinking water.

As part of its drilling proposal, Helis has applied for a wetlands permit from the Army Corps of Engineers and a water quality permit from DEQ.